ILLUSION
by LanaaLuthor
Summary: Clark can't be honest with Rose so she turns to Lex Luthor only to realize she made a huge mistake... CLARK/OC\LEX
1. Chapter 1

_I wake up in the morning. I don't feel well, my head is aching and I feel slightly ill. _

_ Then, I realize that this is not my bed and that somebody's lying right beside me with his hand over me, almost spooning me. Slowly, I cock my head and I see that he's bald._

_ Memories from last night start to coming back to me and I know who that is._

_ Lex Luthor._

_ We had a date last night._

_ But I never go to bed with a man on a first date…_

_ I'm wincing remembering the reason why had I drunk so much…_

_ Thanks, Clark, thanks very much! I think sarcastically._

_ I might just waste my chance with Lex because of my behavior._

* * *

The trouble had started when I'd made friends with Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan. They'd been very nice and I was impressed with Clark, how good he was. It was so rare to encounter people like that those days. I wanted to stick around and see where that friendship would go, I really did, but then… I was sick of his lies. How come that somebody so good and helpful was in the same time a liar? I could tell… he wasn't good at it, he was making such trivial and stupid excuses that it was impossible not to notice. And Chloe? Chloe didn't want to tell me anything, although I suspected that she knew. I could understand her, I really could, she didn't want to tell me somebody else's secret, but Clark? I thought I was his friend! Then he started to act really strange around me. First I'd thought he'd had a crush on me but then when he hadn't asked me out – and I hadn't been dating anyone at the time – I'd thought I'd been wrong, it must had been something else. But what?

Just when I was tired of trying to figure it all out I met Lex Luthor.

I bumped into him when leaving the Daily Planet. I was furious with Clark, I started to wonder if that friendship even had sense at all.

I knew that Clark and Lex had used to be friends, but Clark hadn't told me anything that would prove his theory that Lex was the devil in human flesh so I figured, it was like a broken relationship. It didn't matter what kind of a person you were, you always ended up hating them.

So, Lex couldn't be that bad, hah?

And what more – we had a common goal – we were both tired of Clark's lying.

Lex asked me out.

Why would I say no? He was handsome, charming and he was the most eligible bachelor in town, wasn't he? I was never a girl who would be with a man just for the money, but it didn't mean that I should refuse to go on a date with somebody who I obviously liked and he happened to be rich.

Everything would go out great if only I hadn't spoken to Clark before.

"Date with Lex Luthor? Rose! Do you have any idea who that man is?" he got angry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I needed your permission."

"It's not that. You know what I'm talking about. Lex is not a good man. He'll use you and turn into his own puppet!"

"Clark…" I sighed. "I have no reason to believe you. You don't have any proof against him. You're just prejudiced."

"He betrayed me and… Lana."

Lana Lang. Clark's very first love. She'd married Lex and then left him and been gone ever since.

"Really? Because to me it looks like any other couple that split up."

"They had issues…"

"Like everybody... Chill out, Clark, I'm going on a date, I'm not marrying him or anything and… you should stop be so obsessed about Lana. She doesn't want to be with you. Move on, it's time."

He ignored my comment and then tried to talk me out of dating Lex again what resulted in me drinking too much on our date and that made Lex drink more than he should either and soon enough we were both drunk. His driver just took us to his mansion because I was too amused and was giggling all the time to tell him where I lived.

"You are so beautiful…" Lex whispered pulling some strand hair back behind my ear when we entered the mansion. "So… beautiful…" he cupped my face and before we noticed we were kissing and groping one another.

It felt good. I wouldn't deny that. It felt fantastic. We weren't drunk enough as not to remember anything the next morning and also not drunk enough to say that it just happened without us wanting it. We did want that.

I just let my guards down a little bit too soon and I knew I lost everything.

Because what that made out of me? A whore? Bitch? Some easy woman? I was sure that such intelligent and smart man like Lex Luthor wouldn't like me for longer than one night now.

He led me straight to his bedroom and when he closed the door he started kissing me again and surprisingly we managed to took our clothes off each other pretty quickly.

Then, staggering we went toward the bed and finally my head stop spinning when I landed on it and Lex laid on top of me kissing me, my neck, then sucking my nipples what made me sigh and moan in pleasure.

I could feel his hardness pressing onto my stomach so I reached down to touch him. I slid my fingers through his length quite satisfied with it and I just couldn't wait until I would feel him inside of me.

"Lex… faster… just do it already…" I told him.

His body shuddered when I slid my hand one more time.

He supported himself on his hands and positioned himself stroking my sensitive flesh with his cock.

I shuddered.

"Come on…" I said impatiently. The desire was too overwhelming.

Then he pushed and went inside me with his whole length.

We both sighed with pleasure and our sighs and moans started to be getting louder and louder while he was pushing inside of me.

Then, I built toward the imminent climax and finally I felt my muscles clamping over his cock sending me to heaven in ecstasy.

He followed me quickly releasing himself inside of me and collapsing his shuddering body on me.

"That was… amazing…" he whispered into my ear and rolled himself over to my side, spooning me.

"Yeah… it was…" I sighed too tired to move, too tied to figure out something else to say. I was drifting away…

* * *

And I woke up like this.

Full of guilt.

And Lex woke up too.

"Hey…" he whispered hoarsly. "Oh… my head's pounding…" he sighed. "We drank too much last night, didn't we?"

I had no idea what to say. I'd never been in such a situation before. It just wasn't me.

I sat up pushing his arm away and started dressing up.

"What are you doing?" he asked me what made me stop and look at him in surprise.

"What?" Nice first word I spoke to him by the way.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" He raised himself.

"I'm sorry… it just… isn't me. I'm not the girl who has one night stands and I'm not the girl who goes to bed on a first date. Last night was a mistake. I shouldn't have drunk so much. I'm sorry…"

"Wait… wait…" He stopped me when I was ready to go to the door and leave.

He stood up and put his pants on.

"Last night was a mistake?" he repeated coming closer to me. "I had the impression that you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"I did enjoy it," I admitted biting my lower lip in embarrassment. "It just… I didn't plan… to act like that…"

"So now you want to leave and never see me again?" He raised his eyebrows. "I thought you just said that you are not that kind of a girl."

"I'm not and that's the point…"

"So why shouldn't we keep dating?" he asked me totally confusing me.

"What?"

"I'm not bored with you and to be honest… I'm quite fascinated so, if you want to… we can…"

But something interrupted us.

Some strange rumble coming from downstairs.

"Wait here…" Lex quickly put a shirt on and took out a gun from his bedside table.

I watched him in shock.

He was sleeping with a gun by the bed? But on the other side… he must had a lot of reasons. There would be always somebody who would like him dead.

I followed him in the corridor.

"I said…"

"I don't care! I'm coming with you!" I remembered that I'd said to Clark that I wouldn't be nobody's puppet. No, I wouldn't listen to Lex. I needed to go with him. I wouldn't be some damsel in distress…

…but it was exactly what I turned out to be.

I had no idea how he did it but one moment I was following Lex down the stairs and the next I was standing right beside him with a gun put to my head from behind. That must be the man that had broken into the mansion.

"Luthor! Drop the gun or she's dead!"

Oh boy… Did Lex care enough to risk his own life for mine? He barely knew me!

"Ok… ok… Just calm down… who are you?" Lex spoke to him calmly and put the gun down.

"I'm the one who's asking questions! Tell me everything about 33.1!"

"What is that?" I asked him. "And how did you do that? How did I get here?"

"Rose, be careful. This man is obviously meteor infected," Lex told me.

Great! I managed to avoid those suckers long enough and finally… one of them got me.

Or had I just been lucky until now? All the time… I had the impression that I'd had some guardian angel who'd been protecting me. Obviously he decided to take a break now.

"Tell me!" the man demanded.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lex admitted and I thought that he seemed credible.

"You're lying! I'll kill her, I swear!"

"Lex, tell him!" I found myself desperate enough to plea. I never had a gun pointed to my head and now I was trembling with fear. I didn't want to die!

"There is no such thing!" Lex was persistent.

"How come? I escaped that place! I came back to show it to the authorities but it was all gone! You move it! You're making experiments down there on people like me!"

"Listen to me, you are sick, you need help. I can give it to you if you only…"

"NO! I want to find that lab! You know everything! Tell me or she's dead!"

"I don't know anything!" Lex denied once again.

I knew it was pointless and then I realized that I would actually die… No one could save me.

"Ok…" Lex finally gave up. "I'll take you there, just let her go."

So it existed after all? Clark had been right? Lex was bad?

Then, I thought that maybe Lex was making it all up, just playing along to save me.

"No," the man disagreed. "I won't fall for that. You'll show me some proof. Then, I'll let her go… or not… I'll take her with me and then when I'm sure, I'll let her…"

Something weird happened in that very second.

One moment I was standing there with a gun pointed to my head and the next I was pushed away and heard a gunshot.

When I looked around all I saw was Lex standing where he'd stood before with shock on his face and the man who'd attacked us lying on the floor unconscious.

"What… how…?" I stammered.

"Good question…" Lex answered looking at me bewildered.

"So, there is no such thing as 33.1?" I had to make myself sure and I was watching Lex's face closely to see if he was lying or telling me the truth.

"Of course not, that man escaped from BelleRive, he was delusional. I'm sorry that you had to go through this. You can walk away, you know… being beside me can put you in danger."

"I don't scare off so easily," I answered smiling.

I was sure he was telling me the truth.

Or I just wanted to believe it.

* * *

Week later I started to have doubts. Lex seemed exactly like Clark had described him and I hated to admit that he'd been right all along.

Lex liked to be in control. Like to tell people what to do.

I started to feel a little like a puppet, I was struggling against it but it'd been happening.

And I decided to break it off when…

…when a plus appeared on my pregnancy test ruining my plans once and for all…


	2. Chapter 2

What should I do? What to do?

I was pregnant with Lex's child… and although we had chemistry I was't sure if he was the right man for me!

_Oh, stop lying to yourself,_ I thought,_ of course he isn't the right one for you! You wouldn't be totally happy with him…_

I didn't even know if I could love him! Maybe that relationship was just doomed to fail?

But it all didn't matter now because I was carrying his child. I had to do this for that baby. I had to do everything in my power to provide it with the life it deserved. Lex had money, had influences, had power… so that was covered, but would he be a good father? That was more important than anything else, just being a good parent.

What should I do?

"Honey, are you ok?" Lex just got back home.

I was practically living in his mansion and didn't even remember how it'd happened. We'd spent one night together and then, it'd just gone on its own. It was good, but, why the hell I was feeling like something was wrong? I couldn't understand it. Lex had his nature, I could live with that eventually or maybe managed to change him a bit, but what was it that was making me so hesitant?

"I… Yes, I'm fine," I said when he came closer to take me into his arms and kiss me. "I was just… leaving… I'm meeting some friends in town."

"No problem. You can take my car if you want." He smiled. _Good,_ he didn't suspect anything.

"Thanks," I smiled doing my best to look normal and happy.

"Come back for dinner. The stuff's cooking something special."

"I will."

I left the mansion and finally was able to take a deep breath and calm myself down.

Lex cared about me a lot, probably more than I would like. How could it'd happened so fast? What was it that I'd done to make him fell for me so much? That would remain a mystery to me.

Lex was a man who knew what he wanted and when he saw it he just took it. It should be a simple explanation or the only one there was.

I didn't know how I ended up at Clark's farm, but I did.

I needed to talk to someone and he was the first person in my mind. Was it strange that I wanted to tell him what happened to me first?

"Rose!" he was clearly happy to see me. "I was worried that you would never speak to me again!"

"Why wouldn't I?" I got out of the car and let him hug me. I felt safe in his arms, more safer than around anybody else.

"You know, for what I said the last time we saw each other. About Lex. It's been a long time... and... guess I should say that I'm sorry…"

"You shouldn't be. You were right," I sighed and suddenly felt the burden on my shoulder once again, this time it seemed to be heavier. A lot heavier.

"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Clark got seriously concerned.

Then it was. His goodness and true care about me did it. I broke. Snapped. Burst into crying.

"Hey… Rose…" he got closer and put his arms around me once more. "Tell me… what happened?" He was making things only worse because he was giving me such a comfort, such safety.

I had to get out of this embrace right away so I pushed him.

"Sorry…" I sobbed. "I just… you make things worse… I want to cry when you're… holding me…"

"Do you want to go inside?" He didn't ask any questions about what I'd just told him and I appreaciated that.

I went to the barn. Strangely, this place felt more like home than the actual house.

"So…?" he started hesitantly, not sure if he should keep asking. "I don't want to pry… it's just… if he did something to you I would like to know."

"He did nothing… well… beside…" I stopped for a while.

He took a tissue from his pocket and gave it to me.

"It's clean."

I took it and wiped my nose out.

"I'm… pregnant." There, I said it.

I was waiting for his next words, but nothing came out of his mouth. I was too afraid to look at him now, I guessed I had to.

I raised my head and... it shocked me. There was obvious pain on his face.

"Clark?" I asked. "You look even worse than me." Then, it struck me. I'd been right from the very beginning. He had feelings for me. "Oh no… come on!" I raised my voice. "Are you kidding me? If you have feelings for me you should've said something!"

He was just looking at me with that sorrow on his face.

"Why?" I asked him. Still nothing. "Why can't you trust me?"

I got mad. It was his fault. His fault that I was pregnant with Lex's child, his fucking fault that I'd gone to bed with Lex in the first place. I'd been so sure that Clark had been just my friend and I'd missed what I'd been feeling all along.

"It's too late…" I cried again. "Too late…"

"Rose…" he got closer. "I'm sorry…"

"Tell me the truth," I demanded. "You have to be honest with me. You owe me that."

"Rose…"

"I knew it." I stood up. "I'll come back to Lex now and tell him that I'm pregnant."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know… it doesn't mean anything. I can help you. I…"

"Will you tell me what is it that you're hiding from me?" I asked watching his face closely.

"I care about you, you know that… I can help you raise that child. I... I really…"

"Clark! Stop!" I yelled at him and made a step back. "I can't understand you! You're willing to raise another man's child, you're obviously have feelings for me, but then you shut me down and won't tell me the truth! I refuse to live like that. I would lie if I told you that I didn't think about us together before, but it's in the past. It turned out that I don't know you at all."

He just put his hands on my shoulders and pulled me closer into a kiss.

I was so surprised that I didn't object and found myself kissing him back. It felt good. It felt... great. There was attraction between us, I couldn't deny it anymore, but what good it would bring me? Nothing. Just more pain.

So I pushed him away and left.

"Rose!" he yelled after me, but I didn't listen. I just ran to my car and drove away.

_Stupid illusion. _That what it was, an illusion, I didn't know Clark at all so I couldn't even think about being friends with him or falling for him. That was an _illusion_. I told myself.

With Lex I knew where I was standing. I wasn't completely happy with the way he was acting, but at least I knew what to expect from him.

So I came back to the mansion.

And I told him.

"Are you… serious?" he asked me with his eyes widely open in surprise.

"Yes… I… frankly I was scared to tell you… I didn't know how you would react," I hesitated. What he was going to do now?

"Honey, I'm happy."

"Really?"

"Yes, I am, I know it happened fast, but I also know that we are both to blame for that first night. We were drunk. We made a child. It happened. But it also makes me very happy right now."

"Uff… I'm relieved," I sighed.

"There was nothing to be afraid of. I know I haven't told you that yet, but… I do love you, you know? I love you, Rose. I think I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were the one." He pulled me closer to take me in his arms again.

It didn't felt like that time when Clark had been hugging me, but I had to stop thinking about the farm boy. Lex was my life now, we were about to have a child. That was all that mattered.

And what was more important - Lex didn't lie to me.

"So, I guess… we should get married," I suddenly heard.

"What?" I asked making a step back to look at his face.

"What is it? I love you, I want to marry you and provide that child with a family it deserves, I would do that eventually anyway."

"I love you too," I managed to remain calm and say that. "Ok, let's do this."

But all I could think about was Clark's lips on mine.

I tried so hard to get that image out of my head. So hard!

Even when Lex was carrying me up the stairs.

Even when he was kissing me.

Taking my clothes off.

Finally making love to me.

All I could think about was Clark and it was making me want to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

I thought I was kind of happy. I had feelings for Lex, I did, I didn't know if they were strong enough but they were there.

Unfortunately, it all passed once again when he was attacked. Again.

He told me that was just another person who wanted him dead because he'd fired him from LuthorCorp, but I didn't quite buy it.

It all became clear when I talked to Chloe about it. She'd discovered that the man who'd attacked Lex had asked him about… nothing else than 33.1.

It couldn't be a mistake. If two people wanted Lex dead because of that place it meant that it was real all along.

It meant that Lex had lied to me.

Which time was it already? How many things were there that he hadn't told me about?

Was he ever honest with me?

And I'd got into that relationship and agreed to marry him because I expected honesty I couldn't get from Clark.

I didn't know what to do. I started to be a little scared. What my life would look like in five years? In ten? Would I be happy? Or would I be lied to all the time?

I went to see Clark. Chloe told me he was looking into 33.1.

"Clark?"

"Rose!" He was glad to see me. "You have no idea how relieved I am to see you! I hope you can forgive me… again. I should stop apologizing to you and start making it up to you."

"I don't know what's real anymore," I told him while sitting down on his couch in the barn.

"What happened?"

"I'm with Lex because you couldn't trust me enough," I started, "and now I found out that Lex has been lying to me all along."

"About what?"

"33.1."

"Oh… that…"

"Is that true? Chloe said you had more information."

"I saw it. I helped to destroy one of its facilities."

"One of…? There's more?" I was shocked.

"There are… dozens around the globe. All owned by LuthorCorp," he told me while studying my face. He looked like he was afraid that I would eventually break.

"Ok," I took a deep breath. "Ok."

The shock of finding out that the truth was even worse than I'd expected and the presence of Clark wouldn't let me think straight. He was too close. I could feel the warm coming from his body and I was yearning for him to touch me, to kiss me… I wanted to feel him...

…and I was pregnant with somebody else's child.

"I would give up everything so this child could not be Lex's." Suddenly, I realized I said it aloud. "Oh God… I'm sorry." I wanted to stand up and get away from him, not feel what I was feeling right now, but he stopped me putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Rose, you don't have to come back to him," he told me and his hand went upward to my cheek.

I closed my eyes with pleasure when he touched me and I felt one tear slipping down my cheek.

"You stupid asshole!" I suddenly said.

"What?" I could see the confusion in his eyes. He put his hand down.

"Why are you so stubborn? Can't you see that I just want you to tell me whatever there is to know? What is it? Are you a serial killer? Are you mentally ill?"

"No!" He laughed. "Nothing like that."

"Are you sick? Or dying? You can tell me, I can deal with it, I won't turn my back on you. I care about you too much."

"It's nothing like that," he sighed looking down.

"So what could be worse than that? Do you have some children I don't know about? A wife?"

He laughed again.

"No," he looked at me again.

"So, I'm all in… just tell me." This time I was the one who put my hand on his face. His eyes were burning me, piercing me trough. I felt like he could look into my soul.

And then he moved closer again to kiss me.

This time I didn't stop him. I started kissing him back taking his face in my both hands and pressing him closer, slightly moaning with pleasure when his tongue slid into my mouth.

"Oh God..." I whispered when he stopped kissing me and let me take a breath. "That was…"

He closed his eyes and put his forehead to mine. I could tell he was struggling with himself.

"Ok," he finally said opening his eyes and looking into mine.

"Ok?"

"I'll tell you everything if you promise not to freak out."

"Freak out? I'm freaking out right now about what Lex's doing! There's nothing that could make me feel worse, believe me."

"I can protect you," Clark said to me seriously. "I can protect you from him if you decide to leave him. I'm falling for you, Rose and I don't care about the baby. Just please… don't destroy your life like that. You don't have to be with me, just leave him and…" he didn't finish because I kissed him again. "Ok, is that a 'yes'?" he asked when I stopped.

"Yes," I smiled. "I'll go back to the mansion now to take my stuff and I'll sneak out."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No." I stood up and looked at him. "I don't. It'll be less suspicious if you stay here and wait for me. He won't hurt me."

"Are you sure?"

"He told me he loved me."

"You know… his definition of love may be a little different than mine."

"I know… and when I'll come back…"

"Yes?"

"You tell me everything."

"Ok, I will," Clark finally gave up. "I promise."

"If you don't I will come back to Lex again," I threatened.

"Rose, I'll tell you. I'll keep my promise."

"Good… you know what?" I turned round once more when I came to the stairs.

"Yes?"

"I'm falling for you too."

I left him smiling.

* * *

It didn't go out the way it was supposed to.

I was pretty sure that Lex had been out when I came back to the mansion but instead I found him when I climbed the stairs, he was just yelling at his father.

"Lex! I'm trying to help you! You lost your way! You're becoming reckless and…"

"Mind your own business, dad!"

"I will not let you conduct such experiments! Not right now! No when the Green Arrow is after you! You've already lost three facilities! How long do you think it will last? They will finally have their proof and you will go down!"

"I can manage!"

"No, you can't! You lost perspective! Why don't you just take care of your wedding and your child? You're irresponsible right now! I like the idea with 33.1, but not right now! You have to wait it out and…"

"Shut up! ok? Shut the fuck up!"

There was silence.

I wanted to sneak into my room, but I couldn't. Lex would see me since he was standing in the corridor with his father… and if I backed out now he would hear me too. _Shit…_

"I won't leave until you listen to me... Son, what are you doing?" I could sense shock in Lionel's voice now. "Are you crazy?"

"Get OUT!"

"NO! Put that thing down and listen to me…"

"Dad!"

"You won't kill you own…" I heard a gunshot and a body falling on the floor.

I should've listened to Clark and brought him here with me.

That was Lionel's body on the floor. Lex lost it, killed his own father!

I wanted to scream, I wanted to run, to find myself as far away from him as possible.

But when I finally regain the feeling in my legs and moved toward the stairs…

"Who is there? ROSE!" Lex got to me in a second catching my arm when I was just about to run down the stairs. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You… you killed him!" I squealed. "Let me go!"

"No! You won't go anywhere!"

"Or what? You'll kill me too? If your own father's life meant nothing to you why mine and our child should?"

"Rose… I… I can…"

"What? Explain? Don't bother. I know that the 33.1 is true. Clark told me."

"Clark? How the fuck he knows? Why everything always have to come down to him?" He was clutching my arm painfully.

"Lex, you're hurting me." I tried to make him get off me. "Stop!" I started struggling with him.

"You won't go anywhere!"

"Let ME GO!" Then, I finally freed myself, but only to lose my balance and fall down the stairs.

I felt like I was moving in slow motion. I was praying not to kill myself, not to break my neck and… hell… not to lose my child! It didn't matter that it was Lex's, it still was a human being growing inside of me and it was innocent!

I heard Lex's terrified scream like from the distance and I finally hit the stone floor downstairs.

I felt blood in my mouth and knew that something was wrong. I felt some dull pain in my stomach and when I managed to look down I saw blood on my pants…

"ROSE!" Lex ran down the stairs but I managed to stand up and make a step forward.

I had no idea how I was able to stand and walk, the pain was unbearable, but it was nothing when it came to dying from his hands. I needed to run away from him. No matter what the cost.

I needed to run from Lex to be safe.

"ROSE!" I was too tired, he caught me anyway and when he did I just collapsed into his arms, unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

My head was aching when I finally started waking up.

A muffled moan came out of my mouth when I opened my eyes.

For a moment I was lying there trying to figure out what had actually happened when it hit me. Lex. Lionel. I'd fallen down the stairs and…

I raised myself up in an instant. I had to run from him. I had to find myself as far as possible from Lex.

I looked around, I was in hospital and that meant that he'd brought me here, he might be anywhere near that room right now.

The door opened and I moved back as far as I could in my bed, I needed to get away… I…

"Rose?" that wasn't Lex!

"Clark…" I whispered looking at his worried face. "Oh! Thank God! Clark, you need to help me! Please! Get me out of here! I need to get away from him!"

"Rose… shh… calm down… I'm here…" He closed the door and got closer to put his hand to my face. "I won't let him in, I promise."

"Get me out of here!" I was panicking and I shot one quick glance at the door behind Clark, then I looked back at him. He looked so hurt, so guilty.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered while caressing my cheek. "I'm so sorry… I should've…"

"No, it's not your fault," I did my best to sound normal. He was here so I had the best care I could have, right?

He put his forehead against mine.

"Why are you so afraid of him? What he's done to you?" he asked me.

"I saw him killing… Lionel," I told him.

Clark moved back a little.

"Are you serious?" Shock appeared in his eyes.

"Yeah… do you think I can testify against Lex and then…"

"No, you can't," Clark sighed heavily.

"Why? I saw it happened! I almost died… what about my child?" It suddenly came to my realization. "Oh God… I lost it, didn't I?"

"I'm sorry… you fell down the stairs… there was nothing that doctors could do…"

I sobbed quietly while he put his arms around me.

"When it comes to Lex and his father… the official version is that there was a burglary. The man shot Lionel, pushed you from the stairs and… escaped."

"What?" I moved back to be able to look into his eyes. "I saw it!"

"Yes… but considering Lex's influences… he can make you look like you hit your head and just… imagined it all. There is no proof. He's perfect at concealing things."

"Oh my..." Now tears just floated down my cheek. When I raised my hand to wipe them from my face I noticed the ring. I took it off as quickly as I could and left on the bedside table. "Take me out of here," I asked Clark once again.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? You have the best care here."

"No, he can kill me! He can kill you!"

"No, he can't kill me," Clark denied and stood up. "Are you ready to find out the truth?"

"About you?"

He nodded and then he just took me in his arms.

"I can take you out of here without even worrying that we bump into Lex. Don't be scared and… hang on…"

"Wha..." I didn't finished because suddenly I felt like I was moving faster than it was even possible.

It took Clark few seconds to put me on the sofa… in his own house at the farm.

Then he just stood there watching my shocked face and waiting until I would say something.

"That… How… Wow…" That was all I managed to express.

"So, this is me. I do feel for you, but I was too afraid. I didn't know how you would react when you found out that… I came from another planet called Krypton."

That was such a shock that I found myself raising to a sitting position.

"Another… planet…?" I swallowed hard. "Clark…" I took a deep breath while he looked at me quite scared of what I might say next. "That is… just amazing!"

"Aa… amazing?" he repeated like he thought he'd heard it wrong. "Really? And you're not… scared?"

"Of what? There's nothing to be scared about. You're the good guy."

"And… you don't look at me… differently right now?" he made sure while still remaining in the distance.

"You mean… do I still feel the same about you?" I almost giggled. It was amazing how the thought that I was so safe with him and nothing could harm me now made me so much at ease. Made me relieved.

"Well…" he avoided my eyes, looking down. "Yeah…"

"Clark Kent…" I started, "I love you."

His eyes met mine and I could see his face transforming from uncertainty to surprise, joy and finally… true happiness.

He got closer and sat down by my side. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him.

"I love you," he whispered with our faces only inches from each other. "And I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, I was just... afraid… although Chloe said I should tell you. 'Guess she knew that this would be your reaction."

"Chloe knows?" I raised my eyebrows. "Who else?

"Just my parents."

"And… did Lana know?" I asked.

"No… that was one of the reasons I didn't tell you too… I knew that Lana might have problem with the truth and…"

"I'm not Lana."

"I know." He smiled while pulling strands of my hair behind my ear. "I should tell you about the rest of my abilities…"

* * *

"It's amazing how many good you can make in this world... Have you saved any people yet?" I asked while sitting on his couch with a cup of hot tea in my hand.

"Yes and actually… I saved you. Remember when this meteor freak broke into the mansion and put a gun to your head?"

"That was you?" My eyes got bigger. "I would've never guessed! I knew I had a guardian angel, but I didn't know it was you the whole time!"

"Always at service." He laughed and stroked my head.

The phone rang and Clark picked it up quickly.

Earlier he'd called his mom who was a senator. We needed some place to hide because Lex could figure everything out and show up in the farm looking for me and I needed to dissapear for a while.

"Thanks, mom… yes, she's fine now. Bye." He hang up. "Ready for another ride?" he asked me. "We have to move if we want to avoid Lex."

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"My mom found me an apartment in Star City. It'll be a short trip."

"No problem… Clark?" I asked when I stood up. "You know, I need some clothes…"

"As soon as I get you to safety I'll come back to the mansion for your stuff."

"You have to be careful," I warned him.

"It'll be quick." He smiled and took me in his arms once again.

* * *

Twenty minutes later we were safe in our new apartment in Star City and I'd already had my clothes.

"I saw Lex," Clark told me but after seeing my panicked face he added quickly: "Don't worry. He didn't see me. He's raged, Rose. He's desperately looking for you."

"But he won't find me… and nothing can hurt you… expect the… how is it called again?"

"Kryptonite," he answered.

"Exactly, kryptonite. We're safe then."

"You need to rest… you've been through a lot and you may still be in shock."

"You expect some kind of a breakdown, don't you?" I sighed. "I know… I lost my baby… I'm trying not to think about it, but… Clark, is that make me a bad person when I feel sorrow and relief in the same time? I mean… I loved it, I really did, but the thought that there's nothing Lex's in me anymore make me feel… relieved."

"It doesn't make you a bad person," he said. "That's just make you a human."

"I feel horrible…"

"You should have some sleep." he repeated.

"Don't leave."

"I won't." He took me to the bedroom to bed and when I was under the cover he got there with me to hold me.

I fell into deep sleep, feeling safe and protected, feeling his heartbeat and his hand stroking my hair…

Never felt so much loved or so safe before…


	5. Chapter 5

When I woke up the next morning Clark wasn't there.

I sat on the bed and looked around.

"Clark?" I asked. Nothing.

I glanced at the bedside table at the clock. Eleven AM. I'd slept a lot, I thought.

"Clark?" I yelled. Where the hell was he?

Had Lex found out about him? But that was impossible, right?

"Here." Clark appeared in the door. "It's ok, I was just running some errands. I brought breakfast."

"Thanks." I finally relaxed and stretched a little.

"How are you feeling?" he asked while still standing in the door, looking at me.

"Better. Much better."

"That's good."

"I'll go take a shower," I said.

"I'll make some coffee."

"Thanks."

I soon joined him in the kitchen for breakfast.

"So, what's our next move? We'll be just hiding here forever?" I asked him.

"I guess we'll wait until Lex gives up and then we'll come back home… What? Are you already bored with my company?" he asked while smiling to me.

"Not at all. I just… I want my life back, you know. He took too much from me and now I'm forced into hiding because of him. How could I be so stupid? All that feelings I thought I had for him... that was all an illusion."

"I'll keep a closer eye on him and try to give you your normal life back as soon as possible," Clark reassured me.

I smiled to him and started to eat.

"No much to do here," Clark noticed when we finished.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows in amusement. "Nothing to do?"

He looked into my eyes and suddenly lost countenance.

"Right now no one would ever think that you are the man from steel," I giggled and stood up coming closer to him. I landed up on his laps and kissed him deeply. "Still nothing to do?" I whispered into his ear.

"Are you sure you're fine?" he asked.

"Wow… and he also has nerves from steel." I smiled noticing the hard bulge in his pants. How could he control himself like that? If that was Lex I would be stripped naked already… but he was NOT Lex, I told myself. Stupid. There was no reason to think about that son of a bitch.

Clark's strong will didn't last long though, because when I pressed my whole body against his he took me in his arms and stood up speeding to the bedroom.

"I bet you can take my clothes off in less than a second, hah?" I laughed looking at him.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" He winked at me and bent down to kiss me again while supporting himself on his elbows.

"Could you… you know… crash me… if you wanted to?" I asked between kisses and taking our clothes off.

"Yes…" he hesitated, "but you have nothing to worry about," he added quickly. "I used to live in constant fear that I might hurt… someone…" he finally said but I knew he wanted to say 'Lana'. I was glad he didn't though. "But now I know how to control my body. I've been learning that my whole life."

"Ok, now you can shut up and start acting." We laughed and finally got down to business.

He was amazing. His body was amazing. So big, so powerful, so muscular...

And what I felt… I'd never felt like that before, I guessed I'd never really loved anyone before either.

First he was slow, he was acting like he was afraid he might hurt me anyway, but then when he was finally inside of me making me feel so intense, so horny, so… God, why the fuck hadn't he moved already?

When he adjusted himself to my body and to my weight he was really wonderful and I had to admit that was the best sex I'd ever had.

We soon started just fucking, we forgot that we were Rose and Clark and Clark always seemed so good and pure that everybody had probably the impression that he was doing it only in a missionary position. What a mistake!

He became a real animal and when we finally came we were both exhausted and bathed in perspiration.

"That was… amazing…" I exhaled heavily while adjusting myself on his chest.

"Oh yeah… I've never… experienced something like that before."

"Me neither."

"Really?" He looked at me.

"Really." I smiled.

* * *

Few days later we were laughing that we'd ever thought we would be bored in Star City. I hadn't been leaving the apartment at all and Clark had been just bringing food and from time to time he'd been coming back to Smallville to check on Lex.

There was nothing that would indicate that he was still so desperate to find me, but we didn't want to risk. We decided to come back in a few weeks since we had such a fun with each other now.

I was so much in love…

I finally understood what the fuss was all about. I'd never felt like that before, it must seemed cliché, but it was true. I finally knew what 'the one' meant. When you found the right person – you just knew.

* * *

A week before we were supposed to come back home for good our happiness ended dramatically.

Clark was out visiting his mother in Washington and I'd let him go, how had I supposed to know that Lex had found me?

I had to admit, he was a sneaky bastard.

I was lying on the bed, reading some book when somebody barged in.

I recognized one of Lex's guards in that man so I immediately jumped to my feet doing my best to run…

But I had nowhere to run to and soon I was caught and something was put to my nose…

I lost my consciousness…


	6. Chapter 6

When I woke up I was lying in bed.

Wait… it seemed different… it wasn't the bed in the apartment in Star City… and then it downed on me. Lex's men had taken me!

I sat up immediately and looked around only to be shocked with the Lex's presence in the door.

He smiled to me.

_Smiled!_

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" he just asked like nothing happened.

I could only gaped at him in surprise.

"Running away with Clark Kent? Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I added two and two. Clark disappeared the very same day you did."

"What do you want from me?" I asked him while thinking on the best strategy. I didn't want to get hurt again.

"I simply want you. I love you, Rose… That burglary must have traumatized you. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this and see my father dying like that. I'm also sorry that you've lost our baby."

"Bu… burglary?" Was he so naïve that he thought he would fool me like that? "Lex. I remember exactly what happened."

"That was the fairy tale you sold Clark?" he asked when coming closer.

"Don't you dare…" I moved back.

"Ok…" he raised his hands and sighed heavily. "You obviously need help. I can give it to you…"

"What? You'll lock me in some place like BelleRive and erase my memory?"

"Rose… calm down…"

"Leave me alone!" I yelled. "You're a monster! How could you? Have you ever truly loved me?"

"Of course. I've told that I love you, haven't I?"

"You either have a very twisted definition of love or you just have no idea what love really is."

"I do."

"You don't hurt people you love, you protect them."

"So what? Now you're suddenly in love with Clark Kent?" Lex asked, still remaining calm. "Because he believed you and protected you? Rose, he's the one who's dangerous. He's delusional."

"No, you are," I denied. "And no, I didn't just fall for him when he helped me. I think I've been having feelings for him for a long time and you… I'm sorry, Lex, I don't feel the same about you, I thought I could when I got pregnant, but now… there is nothing that would keep me here by your side."

"Well, you're not going anywhere," he told me and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I looked around, there was no other exit. I hid my face in my hands sobbing, but soon enough I put myself together. Clark would find me. He would come for me eventually. It couldn't be long until he would figure out what had happened to me.

I got up and walked toward the door.

Maybe I could play along for a while and wait for Clark. I couldn't stay in that room, I would bored or worried myself to death.

So I left it and soon found myself downstairs in Lex's study.

He was there, sitting by his desk. Maybe he even expected me because he didn't say anything and didn't send me back to that room.

"So, you've come to your senses," he spoke but his eyes were still focused on something on his laptop.

"Yy… yes," I managed to say. "I would like something to eat if that's ok."

"No problem. Tell me when you'll decide to get some help, ok?"

And in this very moment the door burst open showing Clark.

"How did you get pass my security?" Lex asked and took out a gun aiming at him.

I moved back watching them. What would Clark do? He couldn't expose his secret like that, could he? Lex couldn't know!

"Lex, stop… you can't keep her here as your prisoner!" Clark said doing his best to calm Lex down.

"She's not a prisoner. She's with me. And you're the intruder. Get out!"

"No."

"Clark… this is my last word, I'm warning you."

"I won't go anywhere without her."

So it happened.

Lex fired.

Clark escaped the bullet and suddenly he was standing right by my side.

"What the…" Lex opened his eyes widely, but then after a second he didn't hesitate to shoot… well, me.

The bullet didn't get me. Clark shielded me and it just bounced off him and hit the window behind Lex.

"I knew it! I knew there was something special about you, Clark," Lex said, but Clark just took me and speeded off with me.

"Oh my God…" I couldn't stop shaking when we were finally back at the farm. "Oh my God! Clark, he knows! He knows your secret! You're in danger now!"

"Well, he doesn't know about my weakness, so it's at least one good thing," Clark told me and handed me over a glass of water. "Here…"

"Thanks." I gulped it all but still didn't feel any better.

"What he's done to you?" Clark asked me and sat by my side, stroking my arm.

"Nothing."

He looked like he couldn't believe it.

"Really… nothing. He just wanted to convince me that I was crazy and imagined the whole thing with him killing his father."

"And he thought it would work?"

"I don't know. I decided to play along and wait for you to come and get me and then… you came… Clark, what happens now?" I asked. "We'll hide again?"

"No, no more hiding. It doesn't seem to work."

"So, what then? We'll just sit here and wait for him to come for us, to figure everything out?"

"I don't think Lex would figure out that I'm from another planet or that I'm getting sick around kryptonite."

"But he won't stop until he'll find your weakness and your know that."

"I guess we'll have to deal with this when the time comes," Clark sighed and pulled me closer to him to take me into his arms. "He really didn't hurt you?"

"Really…"

* * *

Clark still had a closer eye on Lex but there was nothing that would indicate that he was getting closer to finding out the whole truth. He was digging into it though, but didn't try to kidnap me again.

A week later I was tiding up a little in the barn. Since we'd come back home we hadn't been there yet.

When I was organizing the stuff in the drawers something dropped on the floor and when I squatted to pick it up I noticed it was a ring.

Strange, big, but a very beautiful ring.

I took it and then…

Everything around me started whirling…


	7. Chapter 7

_**WARNING:**_

_**Quite drastic scene**_

* * *

_His cold blue-gray eyes stare me down. He's changed. He's not the same person I used to know. He's not even the person that killed his father. He's worst…_

_What happened that turned him into such a monster?_

* * *

I woke up lying on a cold ground in the middle of the street.

I stood up immediately, frightened that I might be ran over by some car, but then I realized that something was totally wrong. There was no one on the street, not even a single car except some wreckages along the pavement.

There was something strange with the light too. It wasn't dusk nor dawn, it was a day, but… I looked up in the sky.

The sun… was turned red. It was shadowed and I had no problem with looking directly at it.

What happened? Who could have such a power to do something like that?

Where was I? I'd been tiding up the barn and then… boom…

I'd remembered the ring.

_Oh, stupid, stupid girl!_ I thought, how could I'd been so stupid? It suddenly downed on me that this was the Legion Ring. Clark had never showed it to me, but where we'd been hiding he'd told me everything about him there was to know, including the story of the ring!

It would be hard to associate the facts before picking up the ring from the floor, I told myself, I wasn't to blame, it was just a bad luck.

Would putting the ring back on my finger help me get back to my world? Still, I wasn't sure if I should do that just now. If something was going to happen with the world I was living in I could as well check it up so I would be able to tell Clark everything he would need to know to stop it.

So I had to find him.

I felt a sudden shiver when I thought he might be dead, but maybe no, maybe I had a chance. As long as I had the ring. All I had to do in the face of a danger was to put it back on.

I started walking… and didn't go far because suddenly a military car arrived and before I could say something or ask for help it swept me off the road.

"Hey!" I hissed because the soldiers weren't gentle at all. "What are you doing?"

"Who are you?" one of them asked while looking at me with cold steel eyes.

Ok, they obviously weren't the good guys like I'd thought they'd be, but they didn't hurt me yet, so…

"Rosalie Mack," I told them my name and caught a glimpse of interest on their faces.

"Rosalie Mack?" the man repeated. "How did you get here?"

"What's happening to this world?" I asked instead of answering him.

The men looked at each other significantly.

"Hey! I demand to know!" I snapped at them. "You can't just sweep civilians off the road! I'm not a prisoner!"

"You are," the man told me while the other one grabbed my hands.

I didn't even manage to reach for the ring. I was already tied up.

_Perfect, just fucking perfect!_

I stopped struggling when they put a gun to my head.

"Good girl," I heard.

I should've put that ring on the first place instead of playing a hero, I thought. There was no Clark here and I was just a vulnerable woman. Anything could happen to me now.

What would Clark think back at home? He would probably accuse Lex of kidnapping me again and… how much time would pass before he would realize that the ring was gone? Maybe he would never…

I suddenly felt dizzy…

Then, I recognized the road and the mansion in the distance.

"You're taking me to the Luthors?" I asked the men and felt strangely relieved. Lex wouldn't be so bad right now, would he? He cared about me, or at least, he'd used to, maybe it would be enough. Or… were the men prepared for this? They'd acted like they'd known my name so it meant that Lex had never stopped looking for me.

They stopped and took me out of the car, then dragged me to the door and then through the well-known corridor and finally to Lex's study.

_Some things never change_, I thought when we entered.

What I saw was so repugnant that made me turn my head away almost immediately.

Lex was sitting behind his desk. In a white suit. And although I couldn't see her because of the desk I could tell that there was a woman squatting in front of him giving him a blow job.

His eyes were closed.

I looked down and noticed a big sign on the floor that wasn't there before. A president crest.

Lex was the president of The United States.

"Sir, we found her," one of the men said.

In that case I had to see. I raised my head to face him, to face the monster he'd become.

"Rose," he said watching me with shock in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you? And I wasn't the only one! You've been gone for years!... Take her, she's yours." Lex pointed the girl behind the desk and the men that had brought me here waited until she would stand up and pass by me. They escorted her outside and I was left alone with Lex.

I thought I'd seen enough so I started working on freeing my hands as quickly as possible. I needed to get out of here! NOW!

Lex smiled and stood up.

I avoided him, his eyes, his face and especially, I avoided his crouch. I could tell he didn't finish.

He got to me before I could free myself and he put his hands on my shoulders, then he suddenly twirled me around and pushed on the desk.

"Lex… don't…" I said when he bent over to kiss me.

I was struggling. I really didn't want him to touch me or kiss me. I was too disgusted.

His blue-gray eyes started me down.

He'd changed a lot. He'd got even worse.

"STOP!" I screamed when he placed his hands on my butt.

He must feel it. _Shit! Shit! Shit!_ He felt the ring in my back pocket!

He took it out.

"What is it?" he asked me.

"Give it back!" I yelled and knew in an instant that it was a mistake. If I didn't care he might return it to me, but now he knew that it had some special value to me.

"No," he answered putting it into his pocket and reaching out a… gun.

Soon, I found myself with a gun put to my head. Again.

I stirred.

"Good girl," he smiled, but it was an emotionless smile. A cold one. "You're only mine and you always will be."

"Really? It didn't seem to matter when that girl was taking care of you," I found myself teasing him.

"Even the best of us wouldn't survive six years without any sexual intercourse," he answered with the same voice and kissed me again.

What was I suppose to do? He could kill me if I objected and I knew I couldn't give up. No matter what. I had to come back home, to Clark, I couldn't left him there not knowing what had really happened. It would be too cruel! I had to be strong for him!

I realized that Lex wouldn't kill me if I obeyed, he cared about me, even in that twisted mind he had now, he cared and as long as I would play by his rules I was safe and I would finally get the chance to place my fingers on the ring. And maybe I would find out what had happened so I could tell Clark how to stop it.

So I let him kiss me, I let him slid his tongue into my mouth.

It was only a body, I thought, just a body. I could survive that.

But his touch, his lips… it was all so revolting… when I thought what he'd had to do, how many people he'd had to kill, what he'd done to the sun… to get the president sit? To finish Clark off?

Lex stripped me from my pants and I closed my eyes doing my best to withstand it. I had to… God, help me, I had to!

He didn't try to please me, not since he obviously saw that I wouldn't be pleased even in million years. What a monster would do something like that to a person that he loved? Maybe he didn't even know what love was anymore. Maybe I was just his obssesion, something that he had to possess.

He spread my legs open and pushed inside of me with a loud groan of pleasure. Then he started fucking me.

I could only keep my eyes shout, doing my best to restrain tears.

Then, I found another strategy. I just thought about the times I'd really enjoyed having sex with him. I did my best to remember the orgasms I'd had, the pleasure I'd taken from it. It helped just a little, but it did after all.

He finally released himself into me while panting heavily.

I was glad that I'd started taking pills when I'd lost the baby. Now, I knew I wouldn't be pregnant, but if I would have to go on like that more than a day or two… then I would be in a real danger.

"There." He smiled and caressed his cheek what made me feel even more sick. "You have a choice, Rose. You can survive with me, you can live by my side like a queen and you will never die on those dangerous streets." He looked at the window. "You will never starve, you will be safe. All I ask from you is a little bit of love and an heir."

There it was. What I was afraid of. An heir.

"What happened to the world?" I dared to ask. "Why is it so dangerous out there? What happened to the sun?" I put my hands on his chest and shoved him away, I just couldn't stand him being so close for so long.

He smiled mischievously.

"All of this… was to kill your precious boyfriend from another galaxy, Clark Kent," he notified me.

_Clark was dead...?_

"His powers came from the sun, you see," Lex continued clearly satisfied with himself, "and without it… they're gone and he's just as normal as everyone else."

He turned around and walked toward the door.

"He's suffering like everyone else now," he added not looking at me. "My people will make you feel like home. Try to run, I'll catch you, you can be sure of it, and when I'll do I won't kill you, I will simply hand you over to my men, when they'll finish with you they will kill you. Make your decision, Rose and let it be a smart one. You are a survivor after all, aren't you?" This time he did turn to look at me and then he finally left.

When I found myself left alone I shoved the ring back to my pocket. I had it! I'd taken it out of his pocket while he'd been climaxing. I could get away now.

But first I needed to find Clark to find out what had really happened. I needed to know the very first step Lex had taken so we could stop him in my times.

* * *

When night fell I escaped through the window.

I tricked the alarm but managed to run and hide in the cornfield.

Lex could think he would find me eventually, but he couldn't suspect that I had the advantage.


	8. Chapter 8

I had no idea how long I'd been hiding in the cornfield. When I finally heard nothing for a longer time I dared to move and run toward the farm. I had no idea where would Clark be. If not there I might as well go back to my times because any further looking would be just pointless.

I got lucky because when I got there I noticed a small light coming from the barn. I knew I couldn't yell, Lex's people could be close, they could as well wait for me up there, it could be a trap. Maybe the light wasn't coming from Clark after all… but I had the ring. I had to try.

I sneaked in the barn and quietly went upstairs.

"Clark…" I whispered full of mixed feelings that started to boil inside of me… hope, happiness, relief and the most important – love.

"Rose?" He raised up from his old sofa, completely startled.

"Shh… they might look for me here, be quiet," I whispered putting my finger to my lips and made another step forward.

He looked different. He was still the same strong tall and well-built man, but now he had quite noticeable bristling on his face. He looked tired, worn-out, with no life left in him and I had the impression that he seemed much older than the last time I'd seen him.

I tiptoed to him and finally found myself in his safe and warm arms.

"Rose…" he gasped to my ear. "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you…"

"Clark…" I looked into his eyes. "I don't have much time. I wasn't lost. I came here from the past."

"What?" Then I could see the understanding in his eyes. "The ring?"

"Yes… I was tiding up the barn and… that was really stupid, the ring fell on the floor so I picked it up and… I found myself here. Today."

"Oh my God…" Clark sat on his sofa and hid his face in his hands. "And I thought… that Lex… but then Lex were looking for you too and… he searched through the farm, the barn… the ring disappeared so I thought it just fell somewhere or Lex's men took it… I never thought… I barely managed to hide kryptonite from him."

"So he never knew that it's your weakness?"

"No, but instead he discovered something else, something more deadly. Rose," he raised his head and looked into my eyes again. I came closer and sat by his side. "It's all my fault. I was so blinded… I searched the whole world for you and you were nowhere to be found… in the meantime… Lex figured everything out and started building a machine to shadow the sun and look what happened. Because of me the whole world suffered. Do you have any idea how many people died? And now I don't even have the power to save the ones that stayed alive."

"I can stop it," I told him with tears in my eyes. I could feel his pain, I understood him completely, I knew what he must had been through. "I could put the ring back on my finger in an instant but I decided to find out what happened to be able to stop it. I'll come back to my times, Clark and I'll tell you how to stop it, so you need to tell me…"

"You already know it," he said.

"What?"

"Don't you get it? It's you. You were gone and I went mad. If you hadn't been gone I would've stopped Lex in time."

"Oh my God." I covered my mouth with my hands and started shivering. So, all of this… it had been all for nothing?

"What is it? Rose… what happened to you? You came straight to me, right?"

"No…" I sobbed and started to cry. "No… Lex's men found me first…"

"What did he do to you?" Clark's voice became harsh.

I looked away.

"Did he use you?" he asked in rage. "I will kill him!" He raised up from his sit once again.

"No, don't…" I stood up after him, but I knew it was too late. I could hear Lex's men outside. "Shit! They know I'm here!"

"Go back!" Clark screamed. "Go back! Now!"

I got to him and cupped his face.

"I love you, Clark Kent," I said to him. "I will make it all right. You will be happy and the world will be safe again."

"I love you too…" he said. "Now, go!"

I turned round seeing Lex at the top of the stairs.

"Rose…" he shook his head. "That was a really bad decision." He made a step forward.

I got to the window and reached to my pocket.

The last thing I saw before I was gone was Lex stabbing Clark with a dagger. A long sharp scream of pain got out of my throat and then… nothingness…

I hit the barn floor hard and moaned from pain.

"Rose!" I heard Clark's voice form downstairs. "ROSE!" He was by my side in an instant. "Rose, where were you? I've been worrying sick! You were gone almost ten hours!"

I sat up and looked at him. I realized I was still crying.

I looked at my finger with the ring on it and Clark followed.

"Oh God," he said taking it off me and smashing it with his fingers immediately. "I'm so sorry… Now, it won't hurt anybody else."

"What happened when I was gone?" I asked when he helped me to my feet.

"I went to Lex and accused him of taking you again. Now I know he wasn't lying when he denied it."

"Clark… I saw the world in six years from now… you were stripped off your powers… Lex was the president…"

"What?" Clark put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "What happened? How do I stop it?"

"You don't have to." I looked down, tears still dropping from my eyes. "It was all me, all I had to do was to come back to you. Listen… if I disappear with no reason… you will search through the whole world for me…"

"I would never stop looking," he reassured me while rubbing my shoulder with his thumbs.

"I know and that's the problem. You were absent, in the meantime Lex figured out that your powers came from the sun and shadowed it. I don't know how, but when you realized what he was doing… it was too late. The world as we knew it was gone forever."

"But he'll figure it out anyway, won't he?"

"Yes, but when you won't be so focused on finding me you'll stop him in time."

I felt so weak… so powerless… so… used.

I stumbled to the sofa and fell on it.

"Rose, what happened to you back there? Did somebody hurt you?" Clark asked sitting by my side and suddenly I felt the strangest daja vu feeling.

How could I tell him what had happened?

"Please, tell me, we don't keep any secrets from each other, do we?"

"I can't…" I sobbed. "I just can't…"

"What Lex did to you?... Oh God, Rose… did he…"

I didn't answer. Clearly, Clark knew me too well, he would figure it out eventually.

I just cried even more and felt his arms around me once again.

"I really want to hurt him right now," I heard his voice.

"You can't… it's not the same Lex. Not yet at least. Clark… I saw what he'll become… we can't let that happen."

"We won't… I'll always be there to stop him," he reassured me. "Please, Rose, tell me what I can do to make the pain go away? I just… can't stand the thought of him… using you like that… I…" I could feel that he clenched his fists.

"There's nothing none of us can do now… we have to live on and forget…" I whispered. "Just… hold me… hold me, please…"

"Of course…"

I could only snuggle into him, close my eyes and try to forget. It would be hard, I knew that, but it wasn't like I'd been raped – or used, because somehow it hadn't seemed like a rape when I'd agreed to that although I hadn't liked it. I could be only glad that the man who'd done this to me hadn't been some filthy stranger. It'd been Lex, that I could live with and with the fact that the Lex form the future was probably already gone forever. Clark would do something. Lex wouldn't end up like that…

"If that was the possible future… so maybe it never happened…" I told Clark after some time of sitting in silence.

He just sighed and rubbed my back.


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm looking at him but I don't see my Clark. What happened? What changed? Where did he go? Who was that person standing right beside me? Do I have to run…?_

* * *

"Clark?" I woke up but he wasn't there beside me. Weird, because for a month now he'd never left the bed before I would be awake. He'd wanted me to feel safe and protected. So where was he now?

"Clark?" I asked again while putting a robe on and going down the stairs. "CLARK?"

Nothing.

Had Lex finally started working? He'd been strangely quiet ever since he'd found out that I'd been back, but I doubted that he would take Clark now. He would never know about kryptonite and with the sun still high and yellow in the sky there was no danger.

So what was it then?

My phone rang.

Chloe.

"Hey, Chloe," I picked it up.

"Rose! Thank God I caught you… have you seen Clark today?"

"No… I haven't… to be honest I'm quite worried or maybe I'm just paranoid," I sighed.

"I'm in hospital," Chloe interrupted me. "Clark put me here."

"What?" I couldn't believe it. "What are you talking about? Are you sure? What happened?"

"He just came to my place and he was acting like he wasn't himself. He tried to strangle me."

"Red kryptonite?" There was no other explanation.

"No," she denied. "That was nothing like it."

"So what then?" I panicked. "Chloe, Clark is the best person I know… he wouldn't…" My phone suddenly flew away from my hand.

I turned around only to face Clark.

Chloe was right. He was somehow different. He looked cruel, like not himself.

"Hello there," he said with also different, more harsh voice.

"Clark… what happened to you?" I asked doing my best to remain calm and not to run. At least not yet.

"Nothing." He smiled. "I'm just having som fun… you know you're different than I remember. I should probably ask what happened to you?" TO ME?

It couldn't be Clark! But yet… who else?

"You're not Clark!" I yelled. I had to find the real Clark and…

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows and getting closer to me while I was walking backwards. "I'm a Krypotnian, I have superstength, you are my girlfriend and we love each other, previously you've been with Lex Luthor. The good guy. You, on the other hand, preferred the darkness with me."

"What are you talking about? You are the good one."

"Wrong. I'm having too much fun with destroying the city."

"Destro…" Ok, I reached the drawer. The decision had been made, one quick motion and I had the green kryptonite in my hand. I reached it out to him and he stopped getting closer, his face winced in pain.

"Bitch!" he yelled at me while making a step back. When he was out of kryptonite's reach he disappeared.

I was standing there, in the kitchen for a while, breathing heavily. What had happened to Clark? Was he sick? Infected somehow? Changed? Or maybe his nature had changed? Maybe it was what had been awaiting him as a Kryptonian? Maybe he'd supposed to become like that? But it didn't make any sense! The Clark from the possible future had been so good! And why the heck had he said that Lex was the good guy here?

I changed my clothes and drove to the hospital as fast as I could. All the time I had kryptonite by my side. I couldn't take any risks.

"Chloe!" I finally reached the room they'd put her in.

"Have you seen him?" She raised from the bed.

"Maybe you should stay there…" I suggested seeing the visible streak on her neck. "Did Clark do that?"

"With his bare hands…" she sighed while sitting on the edge of her bed. "I was lucky to have kryptonite near by…"

"Me too…"

"So he got you."

"I scared him away… but…" Only now I noticed that I was trembling. "First I'm with Lex and he seems such a good guy and then… boom… reality strikes… and now… Clark? It's so hard to believe it. Yesterday we were so happy and today…" The memory of last night was still lingering in my head. His arms around me, his naked body pressing into mine, our moans and sighs and his passionate, full of love kisses… how a person could had changed so much in ten hours? But he wasn't a person… he was an alien after all.

"Do you think what I think?" Chloe asked me.

"That all of this may have something to do with the fact that he's not from around here? Yeah… maybe it's a part of his destiny."

"It doesn't make sense…"

"No, it doesn't…"

There was some commotion in the hall so I peeked through the door.

"What it is?" Chloe asked me seriously concerned. "Is it him? Here?"

"No." I closed the door and went to turn the TV on.

Metropolis was on fire. Literally.

And it was all Clark's fault…

"Oh my God…" Chloe covered her mouth with her hands. "Rose… what do we do? What do we do?"

"Calm down… let me think… we have to hide and then… figure out a way to stop him…"

"How can you stop him? One kryptonite wouldn't be enough now… one person can't…"

"One person _can,_" I interrupted her. "Whatever happened… Chloe… Clark told me that Lex is the good guy here."

"You can't be serious!"

"Maybe they personalities switched?"

"That's impossible!... Lex will kill him if you give him the weapon!"

"No if I lie. I'll tell Lex that kryptonite can stop Clark for a while, but if he's exposed to it for a longer time he'll get stronger."

"And you think Lex will believe it?"

"He won't risk it… Come… This is our only chance. I don't want to see him either but he's the most powerful man in the city right now."

"Ok…" she sighed and we sneaked out from the hospital.

Just in time, because Clark hit there right when we left it. We saw it from the distance when we were driving away.

* * *

"So, you're saying… that somehow Clark got meteor infected and now he's a completely changed person?" Lex raised his eyebrows and poured himself some scotch while I was sitting with Chloe on the comfortable leather couch.

"Yes…" I confirmed.

"Do you want some?" he proposed while raising the bottle but we shook our heads. "So, if that didn't happen you would never come back here," he noticed calmly and sat in a chair right in front of us.

"I'm sorry, Lex. What do you expect me to say? Maybe I should apologize?" I asked him bitterly. "Exactly. You care about your life, don't you? So you'll do something because no one else can."

"The green meteor rocks? Really?"

"Yes… Clark seems to get sick around it so if you just make a circle out of it around the mansion it'll be great. We can capture him and place somewhere he wouldn't escape from and then…"

"Then what?" Lex prompted.

"I don't know… wait it out until he'll get better… do you have some other idea?"

"You of all people should know that there is no cure for that kind of infection."

I looked down. I was breaking. I couldn't lose Clark! And again… maybe he was already gone? How would I live with it? Would I regret now that I'd changed the future? Would that life be any better? Maybe it would, Clark would be himself, stripped of his powers, full of guilt… but himself… guilt would be better than what was happening now. At least then he hadn't killed anybody and who knew if now…

"Rose, why don't you get upstairs to your old room and get some rest? Chloe, you can take the one next door. You've been both through a lot today," Lex suggested.

"What about our safety?" I asked.

"I'll take care of it right away."

"Thank you."

I couldn't believe how much had changed since last night. We'd been so happy with Clark and now… now I was where it'd all begun. In the mansion. Hopeless. And my only chance for staying alive was my ex lover, now my enemy, who was a murderer.

Shit!

When I got to my room I simply fell on the bed and cried. I couldn't let Lex kill Clark, I really couldn't, but then… what would happen? How many people Clark would hurt? If only I knew the real reason why he'd changed so much!

* * *

After some time I heard a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I raised up to a sitting position and wiped my tears off.

"Can I come in?" it was Lex.

Maybe he had some news.

"Yes, come in," I agreed and he walked inside.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked concerned and closed the door behind him. "I'm worried about you, you know…"

"No change." Why would I lie to him? It wouldn't get me anywhere anyway.

"Listen…" he hesitated, then he came closer to my the bed and sat on the edge of it, but still kept the necessary distance from me. "I just want you to know… I… I'm sorry… for everything. You were right, you weren't the one who's been crazy, I was. I killed my father and it terrifies me and hunts me every day and it'll probably be like that to the rest of my life… I regret it so much… I had everything… you, the baby... and then… one wrong choice and it all went away. I'm sorry… I just… love you, really love you and when you left me… it broke me…"

I didn't know what to say.

"It terrifies me what I'm capable of and that is why recently I decided to do my best to get better. I want to be a better man, Rose. I don't want to be a killer. I know it's in my blood, it's the Luthor's blood I was fighting all my life… and I want to win that fight."

Had Clark… been right this morning with saying that Lex was the good one here.

I'd got so confused.

"It's ok. You don't have to say anything, I just want to tell you that I won't hurt you ever again. You can trust me." He looked me in the eye. I saw a lost man, not the cold steel that had used to be there or… would've been if I hadn't changed… Oh, I'd got so lost in all of this future stuff!

One Lex had loved me, one Lex had used me… which one was the one beside me now?

And if Clark never got better... would I be able to stay here and make Lex a good person? Was I strong enough? Could I love him...?

He gently put his hand to my cheek and I closed my eyes. I was so exhausted. So exhausted of thinking, of missing the old Clark, but the truth was that I had to face the reality that he might never be back.

Suddenly, Lex bent toward me and I felt his lips on mine.

I twitched. What the fuck was I doing? I wouldn't be the vulnerable woman again! I could be strong and I didn't need any comfort, any man to achieve that. I wanted to be faithfull to Clark. For better or worse they said...

In fact I didn't even have to stop Lex myself because we heard some rumble downstairs.

"What the…" Lex got up letting me go. "He couldn't get through…"

"LUTHOR!" I heard Clark's roar.

"He did," I said, didn't know how though.

"Stay here…" said Lex and pulled out a gun.

"You won't harm him with that…" I noticed while getting out of the bed.

"It's loaded with kryptonite."

I suddenly felt cold, I couldn't let Lex kill Clark! No! Clark was my life! I was more sure of it than ever. Lex had kissed me a moment before and it'd been nothing compared to the feelings I'd had while being with Clark. I had to find a way to get him back even if it meant knocking Lex unconscious or hurting him.

"No way I'm staying here," I said and walked out of the room after him.

Lex rolled his eyes.

"Suit yourself!" he said and went toward the stairs.

Clark was in the study and there was a huge hole in the ceiling, I could see the blue sky through it. Could he fly? It was impossible… or… it wasn't really him!

"Luthor! There you are! And look at you… you're already screwing my girl!" Clark exclaimed.

We descended and then I saw Chloe in the corner. Thank God, she wasn't harmed.

"Clark… " I started but he interrupted me:

"I'm here for him, not for you, sweetheart. You're different in this world."

"_This world?_" I repeated clearly confused. "Wait… you're… what have you done to Clark?"

"I AM CLARK!... NOW! Luthor, give me that mirror!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lex said while aiming the gun at him.

"Go ahead, kill me, she'll never be yours anyway, not when she'll know what you've done…" Lex fired, I screamed, but Clark escaped the bullet and was standing right in front of us again. "I can do that all day until you'll run out of you ammo," he said with a mischievous smile on his face. "Come on, give me back the mirror, I want to come back to my dimension, this world is not fun! She is no fun!" Clark pointed his finger at me.

"Lex?" I 'd been hiding behind him, but now I stepped forward between him and Clark covering the latter with my fragile human body. "Tell me the truth, what is he talking about?"

"He's delusional, Rose."

"Yeah, right, you told me the same thing when I saw you killing your father! You haven't changed, have you? It was all a one big fat lie! You're a perfect actor, I give you that. What was you thinking? That I would just give myself up to you again? Today? It doesn't work that way, Lex. I love Clark and you can't stop loving somebody and start loving another in one day."

"Is that what you were talking about?" Chloe suddenly asked holding something in her hands. It looked like some crystal made out of a mirror. "I found it in the desk..."

Lex suddenly aimed at her and before I could even scream, he fired.

A lot happened in that short moment.

Suddenly, I saw a light in the middle of the room and somebody landed there, it was Clark! There were two Clarks in this room right now! What the… in the same time the bad Clark got to Lex and pierced his hand though him killing him in an instant and Lex's bullet shattered the mirror Chloe was holding.

Then, I was standing alone, Lex lying on the floor in a pool of blood, Chloe still standing near the corner, unharmed but the mirror was lying on the floor in pieces and… there was the real Clark standing right in front of me.

"Clark!" I yelled and got to him. He put his arms around me and finally… I was home.

* * *

The day was over, everything passed like a bad dream.

And there we were. Finally free of everything that had been a danger to us in the past.

"I killed him, Rose…" Clark sighed heavily when we were sitting on the porch of his house. "I killed Lex."

"It wasn't you, it was the other Clark."

"The other Clark was me… raised by Lionel in another dimension…"

"No, he looked like you, but he wasn't you," I reassured him and kissed his cheek. "You would never kill anybody even if that person would be as bad as Lex."

He put me closer to his side and kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here for me, for loving me, accepting me and… believing in me. You're my anchor, Rose, I don't know what I would've done without you."

"So let's never find out…" I smiled and kissed him.

**THE END**


	10. Chapter 10 important info

I heard that a lot of MRated stores have been taken down recently so I decided to activate my live journal and also post all of my stories on my blog.

My lj: trinity02

And the link to my blog is in my profile


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